The Philippine President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte on Friday, June 9, said that he would “follow” whatever the Supreme Court’s decision on his martial law declaration in Mindanao Island.

In an ambush interview in Sultan Kudarat, where President Duterte addressed members of the Philippine Army 6th Infantry Division, Digong said he was certain that the country’s Highest Court would consider the Islamic State (ISIS) threat in its decision.

When asked if he would listen to the Supreme Court ruling on petitions against his martial law declaration, Duterte said: “Of course. We are bound by rules. Supreme Court na ‘yan (That’s the Supreme Court already).”

“I’m sure that they would take into account the fighting going on, and what’s behind it. Ang nakakatakot ‘yung ISIS (ISIS is alarming),” Duterte added.

The Supreme Court has already set three (3) days for an oral arguments scheduled on June 13, 14, and 15 on the petition filed by minority representatives in the house of Congress who sought the nullification of martial law in Mindanao.

Duterte imposed martial law in Mindanao through the Proclamation 216, after a groups of local terrorists with links to ISIS attacked Marawi City on May 23.

In a speech before soldiers in Camp Iranun in Sultan Kudarat on Friday, Duterte hit critics of his martial law declaration for thinking that he implement it to keep himself in power, as what had happened during the Ferdinand Marcos regime.

His message to the those critics is that he will not “perpetuate” himself in power. Duterte jested that he was so eager to cut short his term that if former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr or Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano had won the vice presidency, he would resign.

“I am the second president to declare martial law and I am not proud of it; I am not happy,” Dutere said, adding that the imposition of martial rule “indicates that there is trouble.”

“I declared martial law because the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police (PNP) told me na (that) it has reached its critical moment,” President Duterte added.

Duterte is the third Philippine president to declare martial law since the late and former President Ferdinand Marcos did the same dating back in 1972, a dark period in Philippine history that was marked by abuse, violence, and corruption.

While President Duterte had said that his martial law declaration would be just as harsh as military rule under Marcos, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the martial law administrator, assured the public that human rights would be sustained. – Velvetiere.com